Happy, Colorful run for participants

Gladstone Taylor
Entertainer Sean Paul (right) and wife Jodi, were in sync as they participated at the Color Me Happy Run, at Hope Gardens over the weekend.

Gladstone Taylor
The Gleaner team representing at the Color Me Happy Run.

Gladstone Taylor
It was a powdery affair at Color Me Happy.

Gladstone Taylor
Patrons soaking up some Colour.

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With thousands of persons inside Hope Gardens and a carnival-type atmosphere, health enthusiasts and music lovers are continuing to applaud We Got The Runs Ja (WGTR) and Kind Hearts Ja for another successful staging of the Color Me Happy Run.

The event was designed to stand out among all other events of its nature and the organisers clearly stated their point, based on the effort put into the production. The route was decked out with gadgets and water sprinklers, and participants were splashed with colourful powder, as they completed their rounds on the circuit.

There was also a costume competition, where persons were divided into groups competing for the best home-made outfit. The prize for this competition went to the Chippendales - they wore a bunny rabbit-inspired outfit.

winners

Following the run, awards were presented to the participants whom were impressive during the run. Among the persons who received awards were Oral Anderson from The Gleaner Company, who was the overall winner, while Rebecca Levy was first in the female section.

Following the presentation of awards, participants gathered on the dance floor for the after party. However, not before executing a planned 'powder attack', which saw pink taking over the surroundings, as patrons jumped and screamed in childish glee.

The event was sponsored by The Gleaner, Wata, KFC, Schweppes, Jamaica Producers among others.

Speaking with The Gleaner, Christina Taylor, PR, marketing and events planner at We Got The Runs Ja, said the support would benefit the less fortunate.

charity affiliated

"We have always been charity affiliated. In 2013, we decided to plan our first run, and because we see so many runs ... 5k runs are so popular ... we wanted to be out of the ordinary and make people happy, excited and just have fun. We decided to bring run in color to Jamaica, and we are here now two years later giving back," she said.

In 2014, the now annual charity run, handed over $800,000 to charity. For 2015's charity initiative, We Got The Runs Ja, will direct its attention to the development of basic schools.

"The after party normally goes for about four hours, and the party is usually fun and festive. Patrons should support this event, because not only do we promote fitness and exercise, but it is for charity - to give other people a chance of achieving a good education. We Got The Runs Ja, started out as a running club and has now expanded into a fitness club. We now promote spinning, swimming and we have weekly runs, and patrons are encouraged to come out for that," she said.